Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) activists who were detained, tortured and deported by Israel after trying to deliver aid to Gaza have submitted an official communication to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Organisers have accused Israeli military commanders and top politicians of war crimes, crimes against humanity, torture and conduct relevant to genocide.
Activists among the 428 people abducted on 20 May say they were beaten, tasered and sexually assaulted whilst in Israeli detention.
“The submission presented to the ICC focuses heavily on the severe and widespread abuses committed against civilians, including journalists, medics and human rights defenders, as part of a coordinated campaign of violence documented during the spring 2026 missions,” the organisers said.
“This is not only about what was done to GSF participants,” they added in a post on Instagram. “It is about the thousands of Palestinians who have faced and continue to face the same system of abuse, impunity and violence.”
Since returning to their countries of origin, multiple activists have shared testimonies about their experiences in Israel.
“You entered through one door and a group of six or seven people would beat you mercilessly until you emerged from the other side,” said Italian journalist and flotilla participant Alessandro Mantovani. “And they’d say ‘Welcome to Israel.’”
Juliet Lamont, an Australian activist, said: “We were tortured. I was put down, cable-tied, they put so much water under me for an hour that I thought I was going to drown. I was sexually assaulted in this kind of torture chamber.”
“People were raped, people were tortured, people were assaulted in the worst ways possible,” said GSF organiser Thiago Ávila. “And the worst thing is to know that they do much worse with Palestinians.”
Israel’s national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, released footage of the detainees being forced onto their knees and humiliated.
At least 900 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza since a so-called ceasefire was declared in October.
From Novara Media via This RSS Feed.